Southern IPM blog posts

Funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The Southern Region IPM Center is located at North Carolina State University, 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27606, and is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Three new infographics and two detailed publications from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service help demystify the best practices for controlling pests in schools, universities and other areas where humans occupy close quarters.

“The average person, while not a pest control expert, is definitely affected when an infestation occurs,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension specialist in school integrated pest management, Dallas. “That means the average person is integral to controlling pests, especially where large groups of people converge.”Continue reading →

With concerns about the Zika virus spreading, the national Environmental Health Association is hosting a two-day virtual conference on public health pests.

The April 13 and 14 event is free and open to everyone. The live presentations are “Zika in the U.S.: What Environmental Health and Pest Management Professionals Need to Know – Updates” on April 13, and “Clueless or Terrified? Helping People Understand Health Risks” on April 14. In addition, the conference features a virtual poster hall and discussion sessions. Continue reading →

With arthropods being the most diverse and successful organisms on the planet, it shouldn’t be a surprise that insects and their relatives have been highly successful at invading our homes, said Dr. Mike Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service urban entomologist in Dallas.

“Insects have evolved along with humans, actually becoming specialists at living among us and off our scraps and cast-offs,” Merchant said “Unfortunately, their invasion of our homes often leads to structural and other damage that can negatively impact the home’s value.”Continue reading →

It is wonderful to have wildlife in your backyard until that wildlife damages your plants, disfigures your lawn, or invades your house. Moderated by Mike McQueen and Danielle Carroll, Regional Extension Agents, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Click here to login as a guest and participate in the live event. Note: on December 4, the link to the live webinar opens about 15 minutes before the webinar. If you try to log in earlier, you will get an error message.

If Old Man Winter deserves credit this year for reducing kudzu bugs, it is not so much due to his bite as to his persistence.

For the past few years, Dr. Xing Ping Hu, an Alabama Extension entomologist and Auburn University professor of entomology, and a team of researchers have been monitoring overwintering kudzu bug populations.

Established kudzu bug populations have been confirmed in southern Mississippi. This finding represents a significant jump in the range of this pest across the whole state of Mississippi from previously confirmed sites in Alabama. The Warren County, Mississippi location is also one county south of point where the state boundaries of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana converge.